Patient Portal

Best Patient Portal Software for Primary Care in 2024

Primary care patient portals must make it easy for patients to view lab results, request prescription refills, and message their care team — or they simply go unused. We tested the top patient portal platforms on patient adoption rates, secure messaging quality, and EHR integration depth.

By MedTech Review EditorialUpdated: July 15, 20247 min read✓ Medically Verified

A patient portal's value depends entirely on whether patients actually use it. We evaluated five patient portal platforms on patient adoption metrics, mobile app quality, lab result delivery workflows, online appointment request, and the percentage of patient-generated messages that successfully reduce phone call volume at the front desk and nursing station for busy primary care practices.

Product Comparison

Product	Rating	Price	Best For
Epic MyChart	★ 4.8	Included with Epic EHR	Highest patient adoption rate	View →
healow (eClinicalWorks)	★ 4.5	Included with eCW subscription	Telehealth + messaging bundle	View →
athenahealth Patient Portal	★ 4.4	Included with athenahealth	Automated care gap outreach	View →
Kareo Patient Portal	★ 4.1	Included with Kareo Clinical	Small independent practices	View →
Spruce Health	★ 4.3	$24–$49/mo per provider	HIPAA messaging-first practices	View →

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

Online lab result delivery with physician annotation reduces result-related calls by 40–60%
Prescription refill requests via portal reduce nursing staff phone time by average 15 calls per day
Secure messaging triages non-urgent patient questions without consuming appointment slots
Online appointment scheduling in the portal fills same-day openings without front desk phone contact

✗ Cons

Portal adoption averages only 35–50% without active physician promotion and staff-assisted enrollment
Patients over 65 use portals at significantly lower rates — paper and phone workflows remain necessary
Inbox message volume can overwhelm providers if message routing and staff triage protocols are not configured

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a realistic patient portal adoption rate for a primary care practice?▾

Industry averages show 40–55% portal enrollment for primary care patients, rising to 65–70% in practices with Epic MyChart that actively promote enrollment at check-in. Practices using Spruce Health's SMS-based enrollment achieve 70%+ adoption rates by meeting patients on the communication channel they already use.

How does a patient portal reduce phone call volume in primary care?▾

Published studies show practices with active portals reduce inbound calls by 20–35%. The largest reductions come from lab result inquiries (patients check the portal instead of calling), refill requests (submitted online vs. phone), and appointment reminders (portal notifications replace nurse reminder calls).

Does Epic MyChart work for small independent primary care practices?▾

Epic and MyChart are designed for health systems and large groups — implementation costs start at $500,000+. Independent primary care practices are better served by EHR-integrated portals like healow (eClinicalWorks) or athenahealth's portal, which deliver comparable functionality at 1/10th the cost as part of the EHR subscription.

Is Spruce Health a patient portal or a messaging platform?▾

Spruce Health is primarily a HIPAA-compliant communication platform — secure messaging, phone, voicemail, and video — that adds a patient-facing app. It functions as a patient portal for practices that want messaging-first communication without switching their EHR. It integrates with major EHRs but does not provide clinical documentation or billing.

Our Top Pick

Epic MyChart — Highest Patient Adoption Rate of Any Portal

MyChart has 260 million activated patient accounts — the most widely used patient portal in healthcare. Its mobile app receives 4.8/5 stars and drives the highest documented reductions in phone call volume.

Learn More About Epic MyChart →

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